Thursday, September 24, 2009

So...you wants guys to THINK you've lost some weight? Try aromatherapy! Amazing things happen to the brain when whiffs of certain things get to the brain and start hanging out with those brain chemicals. Perceived weight loss, male attraction, feelings of well-being, just to name a few things.

According to Dr. Alan Hirsch MD and his studies, there is a perception of weight loss when men smell certain odors! If a woman wore floral and spice fragrances, it apparently reduced men's perception of her weight by an average of 4.1 pounds! If the guy thought the floral and spice scent was pleasant, he perceived her to be a full 12 pounds less than her actual weight!

Next time you are out on a date with your hubby, boyfriend or new flame in your life, you may want to take advantage of this idea!

Gardenia is a lovely floral fragrance that I've just recently added in a group bath gift collection. Shower in gardenia soap and follow it up with gardenia fragrance balm that is handy to take with you in your purse too! OR, bathe in a delightful gardenia fragrance emollient bath salt!http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31491025

Monday, September 21, 2009

I just recently made this soap. It is made using real coconut milk instead of water. I added two different fragrance oils to it, coconut fragrance and orange. No added coloring was added to this soap. That is it's natural color. I made using the hot process method, hoping that the orange fragrance with withstand and hold out during the this process instead of the cold process method. Most orange fragrances do not stay well in cold process soap-making and in using the hot process method, I've had better success.

So, using coconut milk instead of water in the soap-making process, what happens? coconut does NOT stay its lovely creamy white when mixed with sodium hydroxide, a main, necessary ingredient when making soap. Instead, it turns a light brown and thickens up a bit. Coconut fragrance oil also turns the soap a beige color when added, so that is the reason for the orange-brown color to the soap.

Adding coconut milk gives the soap a different feel also, it seems to be a bit smoother, soapier, more lather, than if you don't add it. So, it definitely gives the soap some added benefits.

This soap has not been added to any of my online shops yet, but I will be doing that later this week. Stay tuned!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Actually, we are talking about several types of plants that has been called "Dragon's Blood" over the centuries. A more common one that has been naturalized here in the U.S. is Dracena Draco, also known as the dragon tree, is a vulnerable plant endemic to the arid, rocky mountain ranges of the Canary Islands, Madeira, and Cape Verde. This is the plant shown in the picture above. It is commonly cultivated as a houseplant and garden specimen, but there are very few naturally-occurring plants remaining in its narrow ecological range. The dark red sap of Dracaena draco was regarded for centuries in European legends as “the blood of dragons”, and was often used for its supposed magical and medicinal qualities. This resin is still used today to produce incense and varnishes used to stain and polish wood.

Much confusion existed in ancient times regarding the source and identity of dragon's blood. The resin of Dracaena species, "true" dragon's blood, and the very poisonous mineral cinnabar (mercury sulfide) were often confused by the Romans. Apparently, they had a tendency to call anything that was bright red "dragon's blood". In ancient China, very little distinction was made among the types of dragon's blood from the different species. Even today, both Dracaena and Daemonorops resins are still marketed today as dragon's blood.

Dragon's Blood was obtained as dried garnet-red drops from Dracaena draco, a tree native to the Canary Islands and Morocco by traders in the 15th century. a resin came from its wounded trunk or branches. Dragon's blood is also obtained by the same method from D. cinnabari, which grows on the island of Socotra. This resin was traded to ancient Europe via the Incense Road.

Dragon's blood resin is also produced from rattan palms in the Indonesian islands and is known there as jerang or djerang. It is harvested by breaking off the layer of red resin that surrounds the unripe fruit of the rattan. It is then rolled into solid balls before being sold.

Dragon's blood was used as a dye and in medicine for respiratory and gastrointestinal problems in the Mediterranean area. Many considered the resin as a sort of cure-all, using it for such things as general wound healing, a coagulant, diarrhea, fevers, dysentery, ulcers in the mouth, throat, intestines and stomach, as well as an antiviral for respiratory and stomach viruses, and eczema. It was also used in medieval ritual magic and alchemy.

The species of Dracaena draco and Dracaena cinnabari were also used as a source of varnish for 18th century Italian violinmakers and has been included in an 18th century recipe for toothpaste! Even today, it is still used as a varnish for violins, in photoengraving, as an incense resin, and as a body oil. It is still used for ceremonies in India. The Chinese use it to make red varnish for wooden furniture, coloring the surface of writing paper for banners and posters, for weddings and Chinese New Year.

In American Hoodoo, African-American folk magic, and New Orleans voodoo, it is used in mojo hands for money-drawing or love-drawing, and is used as incense to cleanse a space of negative entities or influences. It is also added to red ink to make "Dragon's Blood Ink", which is used to inscribe magical seals and talismans.

In folk medicine, dragon's blood is used externally as a wash to promote healing of wounds and to stop bleeding. It is used internally for chest pains, post-partum bleeding, internal traumas and menstrual irregularities. Many of the modern day plants that are harvested as Dragon's blood, however, contain anticoagulant properties and using it for stopping bleeding is not recommended.

In neo-pagan witchcraft and new age shamanism, it is used to increase the potency of spells for protection, love, banishing and sexuality.

It is also commonly distributed as "red rock opium" to unsuspecting would-be opium buyers, though it contains no opiates and has only been shown to have mildly intoxicating effects.

Now that you know a little history and current uses for Dragon's Blood.

Dragon's blood also comes as a fragrance oil, not really made from the dragon's blood plant but a nice facsimile of the incense that the resin produces. I use this dragon's blood fragrance oil in my soap and bath products for a unique, fragrant change of pace. Recently, I've made a batch of dragon's blood soap that will be ready for sale in the first half of October.

It smells great, no spells have been cast over it for protection, love, banishing, sexuality or any other neo-pagan/shaman spells. It doesn't contain any of the medicinal properties previously mentioned. It DOES contain what all my other soaps contain...soapy blessings. It's a great bar of great smelling handmade soap that doesn't dry out your skin too.

Interested in placing a reserve order of Dragon's Blood soap? Contact me at one of my shop sites! :)

Yes, it's made with real California pink champagne. The fragrance is berry champagne with swirls of pink and a sprinkling of sparkly "pinky dust" on top.

This soap is 3oz of luscious oils that include products that California is known for, such as avocado and almond oils.

OK, OK, I admit, I'm a California native and love the state's diversity of product and creativity. I wanted to create a soap that celebrates my roots.

Delightful, fun and great for you skin too!

I made this soap earlier this summer, but didn't list it on etsy. Instead, I listed it on my sites on silkfair.com and 1000 Markets. Also it went with me to several farmer's markets and a festival.

Now, it's on etsy too!

Now, here's a deal for you! The first person to order this soap from ANY of my shops, receives a second soap of their choice for FREE! Make your order, then comment me here on my blog site and let me know which site you ordered from.

I'm going to make real easy for you and list my sites where this soap is listed, OK?

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Looking for a bargain? Here it is! You pick 5 bars of soaps that you would like...Pay $20. THAT'S IT! Doesn't get easier than that. No shipping charges for shipments in the U.S. Sorry guys who live outside the U.S. Shipping will be reduced but that's the best I can do.

That's my current listing on etsy and a great bargain!

I know, I know...lot's of others do the same thing. But, hey, it IS a good deal and if it works, well, why NOT offer it?

This gives you the opportunity to start collecting some great gifts for the holiday season at a great price!

So, come on down and start your Christmas shopping if you already haven't started. That's OK, I haven't started either!!!

All newsletter subscribers who vote on my blog site what their favorite soap is, will have a chance to win a set of three of that soap.

Since I'm still a bit new at this, I wanted to make sure that all of you know that there is a deadline on the voting as shown on the vote icon here on the blog...only 35 days left to vote. I don't get to see WHO exactly voted, however. So, if you are a newsletter subscriber, please make a comment on my blog site and let me know what your vote favorite was!

Here's a fun handmade soap with delightful champagne fragrance. People have said over and over: "You really can smell the bubbles!" Unless you've taken a whiff, it is hard to imagine that statement. The only thing I can say is, take a bottle of champagne, open it and take a whiff. Fresh and bubbly, right?

Complete with soap "bubbles" this soap is loaded with oils to baby your skin. No itching and dry skin after using it...and lots of lather too! AND, by the way, this soap was made using champagne, so you have real champagne in this soap. NO, it doesn't fizz when you use it, it only lathers. Someone did ask me that.

Each soap is handmade...no two are alike. I made a very limited batch of this and sold most of it already as guest gifts for showers. They were a big hit!

Each full bar is approximately 2.5 to 3oz each.

Usually I add a scriptural reference in my soaps. This one seemed to go well with Champagne Bubbles. Tell me what you think... :)"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well." 1 John 1:2

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

A newsletter is something that I've been thinking about for quite some time, over a year now. It was just a matter of finding the right format and way to make it happen. Hopefully, I've accomplished that with my newest (AND FIRST) newsletter!

It is my hope that this newsletter provides my soapy fans with special promotions and fun ideas ONLY available on my newsletter and nowhere else! There won't be any other advertising of these specials at any other site! It is sort of a special thank you for those of you who enjoy my soaps and want more at a great price...and sometimes for FREE!

Interested? Click on newsletter sign up section at the top of my blog site. The first newsletter will be sent to your e mail address at a frequency of once a month or less. None of that daily or weekly stuff to fill your e mail up with useless stuff!